Description and History of Site:-
The site of Newlands Works is marked by a commemorative stone and plaque erected in 2015. Formerly a wartime engineering factory, built on a green field site in 1941, for the manufacture of aircraft parts, David Brown acquired the lease on Newlands Works in 1947 for the production of David Brown implements. The works were later used for the manufacture of engines for David Brown tractors, which were built at Meltham, and Aston Martin cars. The Aston Martin DB2/4 was assembled here from 1953 - 1956.

Local residents recalled (in 2007-08) seeing the Aston Martin test drivers on the Horsforth Ring Road. They would drive a bare chassis, with no bodywork, sitting on seats lashed to the chassis and wearing a white coat, goggles and flat caps turned back to front. Sometimes they would stop and make adjustments, then climb back on board and roar away. At the end of the test the driver would stop by the roadside and complete the report before returning to the works. Cars would not be signed off if they could not reach 90 mph in third gear up the hill towards Rodley.

The company left the site in 1957 after deciding not to renew their lease.

The factory was demolished in the 1990s and replaced by a housing estate.

Further Reading and References:-
http://www.secretleeds.com/viewtopic.php?t=421

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Key Words :- cars tractors motor vehicles engineering manufacturing

Viewing the Site :- Buildings have been demolished and the site redeveloped

Address :- Parkside Road, Farsley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS28 5BG
Grid Ref :- SE 21948 34674
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.807899 , Long -1.668193
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to residential housing
Site Dates :- 1941 - c1990
Record Date :- 3 August 2018

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Robert Vickers